Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

FORT PIERCE — Prior to tournament play, Vero Beach High School head coach Rahshard Morgan said that district would be his team's biggest hurdle.

After sweating out a riveting overtime thriller Thursday, that declaration is turning out to be true.

Vero Beach escaped in overtime by beating St. Lucie West Centennial 67-62 for the District 8-9A title.

Falling behind by as many as 14 points, it was Jordan Wade’s three-pointer with 19.1 remaining in regulation that help the Lady Indians force the overtime.

For the defending 8A state champions, it is their fourth consecutive district title and fifth in the last six years.

“I said this earlier in the year and said this a week ago in the paper: our district has improved,” Morgan said. "We have quality teams over here now and I expect games like this. It's always good to be on the winning side of it.

"We've had some ups and downs, but we worked our way through it.”

After jumping out to a seven-point lead at the end of the first period, Vero Beach (16-6) got sloppy, relinquishing the lead midway through the second quarter after Centennial went on a 10-0 run. Centennial guard Alexis Brown had 11 second-quarter points to push the Lady Eagles ahead 29-20 at halftime.

“(Centennial) shot 56 percent in the first half and that's incredible in itself,” Morgan said. “We did everything we could to hang in there. When you're hot, you're hot, and they were hot in the first half.”

Brown's scoring continued in the second half as her fifth three-pointer gave the Lady Eagles (15-8) a 40-26 advantage with three minutes left in the third period..

“We had to change a couple of things,” Morgan said. “We picked up man-to-man defense. I think that really slowed them down and pressured them a little bit.

“I think that was the turning point in the game.”

Wade’s three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer closed the deficit to three, and another to start the fourth tied the game at 40 — capping a 14-0 Vero Beach run.

Centennial held a 60-56 lead in the final moments when Riley Miller was sent to the line. Miller hit the first, but missed the second. Kourtney Harris tracked down the loose ball and got it to Wade for the game-tying three-pointer.

"I was just thinking we cannot lose this game,” Wade said.

Brown's shot for Centennial at the end of regulation was short.

Vero Beach outscored Centennial 7-2 in the extra session.

Wade led Vero Beach with 23 points.

Brown led all scores with 29 points..

“We let it get away,” Centennial head coach Jamarra Robinson said. “We weren't picked to be in the spot that we were in, but the fact that we did make it to the district championship game, that's enough to be proud of.”